It was 5 pm one June evening as I waited to drop my boat into the water. I watched an angler make his way up the ramp to retrieve his boat trailer. He seemed weary from the sun, face flushed red and sweating after being on the water for hours.
“Where did all the big bass go?” he asked. “We are catching plenty of bass, but I just cannot find any size, just last month we were hammering big ones.” I wanted to stop and chat, but I could read the frustration, and figured I was better off just agreeing.
Catching big smallmouth from October through May is honestly par for the course. It is simply a reward for managing the elements of cold-water angling. Larger bass are more active and easier to target during this period. The true test to targeting trophy sized bass starts in June.
As welcome as warm summer days are, the approach to big bass can be a formidable challenge. By the time June rolls around, days run 15 hours long with direct sun on the water for a significant portion of the day. Direct sunlight, in my opinion is an obstacle anglers have to overcome in the summer months.
In lakes, the grass grows and waters run deep to help reduce the sun’s impact. Water temps also decrease with depth on impoundments offering refuge from bright sun and rising water temps. But on a shallow river where deep areas are often only 4-5 feet, anglers have their work cut out for them. Depth in a shallow river rarely offers much deviation from surface temperatures and the grass that grows is generally regulated to rather shallow water with limited current.
The following is a list of useful pointers to help steer summer anglers in the right direction or at least put them in favorable situations when seeking larger bass.
Remember that guy at the ramp in the first paragraph? What I wanted to share was… right place; wrong time. Whenever possible during summer months, I run trips where I can grab the last four hours of daylight or the first three to five hours of daylight. This allows us to target the lowest light, which is best sun angle of any given day.
In the last hours of daylight, bass move up on the shallows to feed, making them easier to target. It is the same at first light; bass will cruise the shallows until the sun really gets on the water. If anglers can, I suggest being on the water as early as daylight allows. As the sun creeps up over the horizon, seek shaded banks and island areas. Bass are far more prevalent in these areas.
Once the sun hits the water, I suggest anglers move out from the bank. Set the boat at least a cast and a half, maybe two from the bank. It happens often where guys are catching right on the bank and then like a switch the bite stops. The bass have not turned off, they have just shifted their location to slightly deeper water – just off the bank or structure into the next shelf, often only a few feet deeper than what the bank/structure offered at lower sunlight. The absorption of light refraction in two feet of water versus four feet is significant to fish. The term is exponential light decay (Beer-Lambert Law), however all we anglers need to know is that the light beams widen and become less intensive.
Another tip is to try lures that agitate bass. Noisy top water lures are some of my favorites to try. Buzzbaits, Whopper Ploppers and chugger/popping plugs often create strikes when other more subtle presentations get little action. This is especially true in shallow swift water. Some would be surprised to see how shallow bass will go in the summer as long as there is swift surface current.
Remember current diffuses light. Add in oxygen rich areas close to rocks and grass where prey hangs out, and you have a recipe for success. Generally, these baits will only create a few strikes, but the ones they create will be worth it.
L-O-N-G casts are also critical for larger, more wary bass. Selecting longer rods or dropping down to lighter line will give anglers that added reach, and I have seen where one angler is getting strikes simply because they are out casting the other. For this I prefer throwing soft jerkbaits with a ton of salt. Even weightless, these are long casting baits and perfect for shallow flats where the larger bass spread out and cruise.
Approach target areas as quietly as possible, be aware of excessive noise. Long casts will almost eliminate any angler movement that can otherwise spook fish. Keep eyes open for any surface action, it does not have to be a feeding frenzy, but finding an active fish removes any doubt on if they are feeding.
Cover water and fan cast even in areas that may not appear to be target rich environments. One lone rock or piece of structure in an area can be enough to hold fish. Shallow crankbaits, wake-baits and spinnerbaits are excellent choices to cover water. While I prefer spinnerbaits in nervous water, they work well near, on or away from structure. While lures like swims will cover water well, they can at times draw reactions from smaller fish. Throw them but be aware if size drops as a result.
Location, location, location. Everyone sees the exposed structure that is breaking water and creating a seam, and everyone throws down-river of that structure. But time and time again I catch the biggest fish directly in front of (up-river of) the structure. The largest bass on that active structure will be alongside, or directly in the push water before the water sweeps over it. Another key area is further below the structure where the two current seams meet. This secondary ambush point is often overlooked by anglers who only target the five feet below the obstruction.
If you are finding plenty of summer sized fish but looking to increase size and get into some of these larger bass, give a few of these tips and tactics a go this summer. You may just find the key to unlocking larger summer bass.
Author Chris Gorsuch is a licensed charter guide in the state of Pennsylvania. He started the Reel River Adventures guide service in ‘07 and spends 225-250 days on the water annually. His home base is on the Susquehanna River. Follow his daily fishing reports on Facebook ‘Reel River Adventures-RRA’ & Instagram @Chris_Gorsuch
